Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-05
A SPOOL OF THREAD.
What Cotton Has To 60 Through Re
fore it is Ready for the Needle.

Few people ever stop to think OF the twiStingS
and turnings and the various processes that
fiber goes through after it Is taken from the pod
before it Is wound up on spool and ready for the
housewives needle. The whole story is told, how
ever, in a small space in one of the cases in the
hall In the National museum given up to an ex-
hfbition OF textile fabrics. This IS one OF the
many object lessons in the museum, which COM
bined are intended to tell the story of man as he
exists on the earth. First Is shown specimen Of
cotton in the pod just 1t is picked without hav-
ing the seeds removed. Next is shown specimen
OF the same cotton after it has been ginned and
the black seeds have been removed. The sea Is
land cotton Is used for thread on account OF
the length OF the fiber: sample OF the sacking
in which the cotton Is baled Is also shown. Then
the cotton is supposed to have been baled and
shipped TO the thread factory. Here the first
thing that is done with the cotton is TO subject it
10 the picker" process by which the cotton from
several bales Is mixed to secure uniformity.
OF dust, dirt, ana short fbers are separated from
the good hberS by the picker. Next the "ptcked"
cntton Is wound on machine, In sheets or laps
into roll The next process illustrated by q prac.
teal exhibit Is the carding by which the sheets
OF cotton are cOmbed or run out into long parallel
fibers. The cotton Is next seen drawn through q
single strand or 'sliyer." Then eight such slivers
are run together into one, six OF the strands thus
six Of the Strands nom the last ana dra aga
are combined into one. Then comes the slubbing
or fast rowing process, which consists of WIND
ing the strand and bObbin. Two strands are
twisted and again wound on Doobin. AFTER a
number OF other twiStingS and winnings during
which the strand Is gradually reduced in size,
until It begins to assume athread-like appearance.
two strands OF this fine growing" run together
and twisted, under considerable tension, on bob
bin that makes 1900 revolutions a minute. Two
OF the cords thus produced are then wound TO-
gether on a spool, and then twisted from that to
another spool The twO-cOrd thread thus pro-
duced is transferred thence to another spool and
then three threads OF two cords each are twisted
together, forming six-cord thread. One who has
followed the process sees the cotton gradually
transformed from wide band or sheet
OF loose cotton to compact thread
that viii pass through the eye OF o needle The
SiX-cord thread Is at last taken from bObbin and
reeied into skeln in which form 1t Is beached OF
dyed Then IL is wound back from the skein upon
big spool, from which IL Is supplied TO little
white birch spOOls upon which IL Is wound In reg.
ulr courses, and Is then ready for the market
! The machine that regulates the last winding
measures the number OF yards wound On each
spool. The spoOls are made OF various sizes to
hold from 200 TO 600 yards OF thread. The labels
that decorate the end or the spOOlS when they art
sold are last put on. They are cut and pasted or
by machinery with great rapid1ty.